Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Sitatunga

Tragelaphus spekii

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the antelope best adapted to life in water anywhere in the world, with extraordinarily long, splayed hooves that let it walk over floating vegetation and swamp islands without sinking.

Weight

24 kg – 125 kg

Size

72 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaFreshwaterHerbivore Variable activity Solitary Savanna Freshwater Mammal

43countries 13parks86same family

Fun facts

It is the antelope best adapted to life in water anywhere in the world.
It can submerge almost entirely, leaving only its nostrils above the surface.
Its elongated hooves let it walk over floating vegetation without sinking.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dense swamps and permanent papyrus marshes of central and western Africa
Birth weight: 4 kg
Size at birth: Precocial, but staying hidden on a platform of flattened reeds in the swamp for up to a month
Sexual maturity: Female: ~1-2 years | Male: 1.5-2.5 years
Gestation / incubation: 220-250 days (~7.5-8 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 22.6 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Dimensions.com; South African Wildlife; African Wildlife Foundation; Arkive; SeaWorld; Wikipedia (Sitatunga)